Life and A Knife
Nott Sr, this time.
The one responsible for Nott jr’s involvement with the Death Eaters, the one who killed in that Muggleborn family’s home.
And so soon after Nott Jr. that one could wonder if perhaps the murderer is torturing them to death because he’s after something more than just a slow and painful death.
He wants information.
It was a different warehouse this time, not the one where Harry and they had found Astoria or Malfoy, and not the family basement where Nott Sr. was found. Probably, as Ron suggested, because the family was home now.
Harry was dragging his feet back to the Auror offices feeling worn thin. The smell of death seemed to be following him now, and he was sick of it.
“Mate!”
Harry turned to see Ron sprinting up to him with his hand in the air. He clapped Harry’s shoulder when he got to him.
“I completely forgot to tell you but,” he caught his breath “We’re having dinner at The Burrow this Sunday. Mum asked me if you wanted to come ‘round. Catch up.”
“Oh,” Harry began, then paused. Sunday was in three days. And Harry would- “What about Malfoy?”
“Harry, mate, you know that Robards can arrange for somebody else to watch Malfoy for one day, right? No one is expecting you to turn into some sort of nanny.”
“I mean, I know, but-”
“How about this,” Ron cut him off. “Think about it. Let us know. I know that mum would love to see you. Yeah?”
Harry nodded, exhaling. “Yeah, okay. I’ll let you know. Thanks.”
“No problem. Say, what are you planning on doing now?”
“Going back to Malfoy’s,” Harry responded with a sigh. “What else?” Though Harry really wished that he could hole up in his own flat and ignore the universe right now. He didn’t find himself enjoying the situation he was in. Ron’s word choice stuck in his brain. Nanny.
Why did Ministry witness protection consist of Harry staying in Malfoy’s flat anyway? It felt bloody awful, that was for sure. Harry felt like he’d just signed his life away to another person’s house and rules. That feeling was the worst, having to obey somebody else’s every rule-
“I’ll go with you.”
Harry hesitated, losing his previous train of thought. “Okay.”
As soon as they apparated to the flat, Harry could feel something was off. The area was dripping with magic that was not his.
“D’you feel that, Ron?”
“Doesn’t Malfoy live Muggle now?” Ron said at the same time. “This place is saturated with magic.”
Harry moved to open the door only to be blasted backwards into the opposite wall. Ron pulled out his wand.
“Mate, you okay?” Ron offered Harry and hand and pulled him up.
“Fine,” he grunted, pulling his wand out as well. “I think Malfoy re-warded the place.”
“Do you think something may have gone wrong? I don’t remember the feeling of magic like this last time I was here.
Suddenly Harry was aware of Ron’s comment and the situation at hand. Why would Malfoy have warded his flat over Harry’s wards? Had something occurred? Was he injured in there? Harry had only gone to investigate another murder for the case- Malfoy’s case- Draco… Draco’s case. He had detection wards up as well, he should have heard something. What if they failed? Could Harry really not even spend a few hours away from Draco anymore? “You’re right.”
It took them just under five minutes to break through the wards using combined magic. What they were greeted with was a barrage of kitchen knives flying at them.
“Immobulous,” Ron shouted, effectively stopping them in mid-air and watching as they clattered to the ground. Harry took a look around the flat to see nothing particularly out of the ordinary.
“Malfoy? Draco?” Harry carefully stepped around each of the knives scattered across the hardwood, looking for any sign of Malfoy- Draco. Just then a loud screech pierced through the flat, causing both him and Ron to duck and cover their ears reflexively.
“It’s a drone jinx,” Ron shouted over the noise. The two winced as it got louder. Harry’s head began to ache as he uncovered one ear to reach up with his wand and shout.
“Finite.”
As the drone faded and the two were able to relax, Harry took a breath, and headed for the bedroom door, summing that Draco must be there. He took several steps, reaching out to the door and being promptly snapped at by the handle. Harry retracted his hand with a hiss as he was bit.
“Malfoy,” he shouted, making sure he was heard. “It’s me! What’s going on? Finite.” Harry undid the jinx and turned the now Muggle doorhandle. It was locked.
Mere moments later the handle clicked, turning slowly. The door opened to reveal Malfoy, eyes dark and cheeks tear-stained.
“You left,” he bit. “You left and you didn’t say anything. What was I supposed to do?”
“I-” Harry hesitated. Had Malfoy really done all of this just because he found himself alone?
“Fuck You. Learn to do your bloody job.”
The door slammed in Harry’s face. He turned to look at Ron, the silence of the area thick.
“I’m going to head home… Mordecai’s dealing with documentation…. Good luck mate. Think about that dinner. Looks like you need it.”
Ron was gone as soon as he finished speaking. Harry sighed.
The knives were still strewn on the floor and Harry’s first order of business was to pick them up.
After an hour of Malfoy not leaving his room, Harry took a nap on his couch bed.
When Harry woke up, he went to knock on the bedroom door only to get no response. He decided to look at what books were on the shelves lining the living room. None of them were particularly interesting to him, so he took another nap.
When Harry woke up again he felt groggy. It was nearly dark out and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep. He got up and checked on Malfoy again only to discover that the biting jinx had been reapplied. Harry decided to grab his files and start searching again for anything he may have missed regarding these murders.
As Harry sat at the shabby little coffee table, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the entire situation. It wasn't just the re-warded flat or the drone jinx or even the biting door handle. It was the fact that he was stuck here, in this flat, with Malfoy. Harry thought he might go mad if he went any longer without the privacy of being truly alone.
Maybe Harry just wanted to stop existing for a moment, disappear into a hole otherwise known as his flat and then come out after an undefined period of time and discover that all was right with the world. People stopped dying, crime ceased to exist, and supremacist groups were eradicated.
Nobody needed him to save the day anymore.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Harry knew that he had to focus on the case, but it was difficult with Malfoy right there, in the other room. Draco… It’s Draco, damn it. He’s been through so much. Calling him Malfoy is only a disrespect at this point. Harry couldn't help but wonder what Draco was doing, if he was okay, if he needed anything. The thought made Harry roll his eyes at himself. Why was he even thinking that?
Maybe because Draco looked like he had been crying earlier when Harry arrived.
Or maybe because Harry felt bad not having left a note…
But the more Harry thought about this situation, the more absurd it seemed. He needed to protect Draco- Hell, he wants to, but if Harry can’t even leave the flat to do his job or even have a family dinner…
No, there must be something more to this. There better be something more to this, otherwise Harry might explode-
The case, right.
Harry sighed, scrubbing his face with his hand. He spared one more back toward Draco’s closed bedroom door.
Harry shook his head and refocused himself. There were much more important things to look into. He went through the documents and photos, looking for any clues that he might have missed. As he flipped through the pages, he noticed something strange. There was a sentence nestled neatly in the paragraphs of notes from Goyle's file.
"Hair left at the scene. Collected and filed into evidence. Likely belonging to the victim."
Harry stood, mind racing. Did they ever test that? He shut his eyes, attempting to remember what it had been like to find Goyle's body. He remembered the files, the photos, yes, but...
He never found Goyle's body.
Ron and Mordecai did.
Harry took out his wand and picked up his work in a single flourish. He needed to ask Ron and Mordecai about details regarding Goyle's case, gather memories, perhaps- yes.
Harry realized he was grasping at straws here, but he couldn't help it as he trembled with apprehension. There was a newly installed division of evidence collection and analysis that used some elements of Muggle forensic sciences. Perhaps they could send the hair and determine whether it was Goyle's or not. This could lead to a breakthrough in the case. The chances were slim, but they were there.
He hurriedly sent a patronus message to the two men asking them to meet at the ministry in ten minutes. Then, he moved toward the bedroom door. If he needed to leave, he couldn't leave Draco unaware again, not after earlier.
"Draco?" he called out softly. "I need to go down to the Ministry and check something. I think we might be closer to catching the murderer."
Silence.
"Draco, please. Can you come out?"
Still nothing.
Harry was restless at the prospect that this hair might give him more information, maybe even an ID on the sick fuck who’s been-
Harry wrote a note and slid it under Draco’s door, then promptly apparated to his office at the Ministry.